I've Got You
by HappyChaos3D
Summary: Dean's hurt, Sam's having hallucinations and the Leviathan won't be down for long. Alternate ending to 7.02 "Hello Cruel World" because I wanted to see Sam carrying Dean. Shameless Dean!whump with a healthy dose of angsty!hallucinating!protective Sam.


A/N Shameless 'what if' inspired by a line reminding me of something I've shamelessly wanted to see at some point. And it might've happened too if it weren't for that meddling Leviathan knocking Sammy on the noggin! Duck next time Sammy,OK? Seriously.

Rushed because the idea wouldn't leave me alone and I wanted to put this up before 7.03 aired. It kind of evolved in a way I didn't quite see coming, and I think I might've hurt Dean more than necessary, but I think that's forgivable as most of us are shameless H/C addicts on this site anyway. I know I am :P. Sorry for the typos and possible redundancy and nonsense of it. I might regret posting this later, once I've had some sleep and go over this again and see what kind of crap my sleep deprived brain came up with in such a rush. Seriously, my muse wouldn't let me sleep until this was written! I literally was up all night writing it! Isn't that stupid? Good thing I work late today.

Disclaimer: "Supernatural" isn't mine. If it were "Swan Song" and Season 6 would've never happened. At least Season 7's starting out strong! Glad to see the brotherly bond we love so much is back!

Anyway, enjoy!

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><p><em>BANG!<em>

The shotgun blast practically blew the Leviathan's head off but to their horror it remained standing. Sam and Dean both watched, frozen in place in shock as black liquid weaved in and out of the gaping hole that was once its face and it rebuilt itself in a matter of seconds. Before they had a chance to process this new creature's abilities it grabbed hold of Dean and threw him aside as though he weighed nothing.

That momentary feeling of weightlessness as Dean sailed over a few cars abruptly came to a halt when he smashed into the windshield of one of the busted cars in Bobby's junkyard. The windshield cracked and gave way under his weight, winding him as his forehead bounced against the metal frame and he continued his decent to hit the ground.

He had been thrown into things many times before and managed to escape with mostly bruises and at worst a sprained limb or some cracked ribs and a concussion, but somehow this time around Dean managed to land just right with just the right amount of force and he collapsed harshly to the ground, pain exploding in his leg with an audible crack. Stars flashed in his vision as pain stole his breath away and he gasped weakly, glancing behind him and feeling his stomach roll into his throat at the sight of bone and blood sticking out through his jeans.

Everything suddenly faded into the background until the only thing that was real was the pain. Darkness swam around him as his eyes fluttered and he was slipping into oblivion with nothing to hold on to but pain, pain, pain.

"Dean!" he heard Sam cry out, his voice grabbing hold of him, pulling him away from the searing, debilitating fire in his leg and back into reality and the desperate situation at hand.

Swallowing hard just to keep from losing his lunch Dean glanced at the Leviathan as it advanced towards Sam, moving slowly in a lethal tease. Glancing up he saw that a car was conveniently hovering almost directly above it. Maybe he could... He just needed to get to the switch to turn off the magnet holding it at just the right moment. That could work.

Without having to say a word Dean and Sam made brief eye contact and the plan was set, each one knowing what they had to do to stop the Leviathan. Maybe not kill it, but at least slow it down and give them a chance to escape.

His vision waivered as he dragged himself towards the switch, pulling himself forward with his hands and one good leg, the other dragging uselessly behind him. The unnatural way his leg shifted as he moved made him sick, the jarring movements sending wave after wave of agony through him, threatening to pull him under. His whole body trembled as he made his way to the switch barely reaching it in time for Sam to give him the signal.

"Dean! Now!" he shouted as the Leviathan reached him swinging a wrench towards his head like a baseball bat. Sam ducked and jumped out of the way just as Dean reached for the switch. The magnet released the car, sending it to crash on top of the monster.

With the immediate threat out of the way Dean couldn't hold it in any longer and let out a desperate cry of pain and let himself collapse to the ground, drawing heaving breaths in a vain attempt to control the agony pulsing through him. Head swimming he closed his eyes, grunting again, pounding his fist into the dirt.

"Dean!" Sam called in worry, rushing to his side and stopping short at the sight of the bloodstain forming on his jeans, and the slightly misshapen way his leg rested. He gingerly knelt down beside him and let his hand hover over the break a moment but didn't dare even try to touch it, "Damn, this looks bad."

"You think?" Dean snapped, though it was the pain that brought the bite into his tone as he curled into himself, reaching blindly for Sam. "Fuck!" he gasped, breathing heavily, his face contorted into a permanent wince, "Shit!"

Sam grabbed hold of his hand, placing his other hand on Dean's shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze, "What do we do now?" His voice shook as he spoke, and his eyes betrayed his fragile state of mind.

"We…have to get out of here Sam…" he breathed, his strength fading fast. He swallowed back the bile that the pain was shoving into his throat and gagged slightly. "but I c-can't...ahh! I think y-you're gonna have to carry me outta here."

"How? Do you think that's a good idea? Dean I don't think I should move you… your leg…"

"Then get help!" Dean hissed, clinging desperately to consciousness. His whole body was trembling, and as adrenaline waned and the pain grew stronger, the edge of his vision wavered, fading in and out, pulling him towards the blackness of oblivion. But he couldn't lose consciousness. Sam was falling apart and needed Dean to keep him grounded and it was clear that Sam didn't trust himself enough to make any decisions which left it up to Dean.

There was no telling if dropping a car on the Leviathan would stop it completely or if there were more nearby. There was a good chance that the one they just crushed was gonna come back and Dean had no idea how much time they had to regroup and get out of there. They needed Bobby, or Cas… but Cas was gone and maybe even Bobby too. It was just them now. Damn it, now he was getting emotional. This wasn't the time to get emotional! He wiped a tear from his eyes, unsure of whether it was there because of the pain in his leg or the pain in his heart. Probably both.

"How? Dean, I'm not going to leave you, and you need a hospital, but I can't exactly call 9-1-1 because the hospital isn't safe right now!" Sam exclaimed, looking like a lost child.

"I know, shit, fuck, damn it, I know! We're screwed, thank you captain obvious!" Dean snapped, cursing helping him deal with the agony in his leg a fraction though he hated how pissed off he sounded, hated how he must sound to Sam. But Sam knew how much of an asshole he could be when in enough pain, he knew it was never personal. Well, at least the old Sam knew. He wasn't sure about this version of his brother, the one currently in the midst of a psychotic breakdown.

He saw Sam's head jerk to the side suddenly his body instantly tense and panicked. Dean blinked, forcing his eyes to focus as he followed his brother's line of sight, seeing nothing. Not good. With arms about as sturdy as jello he tried to push himself up into a sitting position, "Sam, look at me," he said, trying to shove the pain aside and sound authoritative. "Look at me!" he hissed.

Swallowing nervously Sam did as he was told, and Dean sagged slightly, eyes fluttering as the wold suddenly went topsy-turvy. "We'll figure something out, but right now we have to get outta dodge _now_. I don't know if more of those things are gonna show up and we're in no shape to defend ourselves." He gasped for breath, realizing at that moment that it wasn't just his leg that was injured as a sharp pain in his side nagged at him. He closed his eyes, sinking further into the ground, his voice, his consciousness fading. "You're going to have to… carry me, make a splint or something, OK? You know how to do this, I trust you Sammy, whatever you saw over there, it's not real. You gotta…I _need_ you to focus on this. I can't…I…need your help S-Sammy…'m counting on you... get us both outta here...need you to…focus…"

He must've lost consciousness then, because the next thing he knew he was lying flat on his back and a sharp pain cut through his leg and he opened his eyes and saw Sammy quickly approaching, holding some metal poles and a roll of duct tape. He vaguely wondered where Sam found the stuff now that Bobby's house was a burt out husk as Sam knelt beside him, resting his hand gently on Dean's knee.

"Dean," Sam murmured gently, "you with me?"

Licking his lips Dean replied faintly, "Yeah."

Sam looked relieved, "Good. You had me worried for a minute there." His face darkened into concern, "You ready for this?"

Dean opened his eyes and regarded him in confusion until he realized that Sam was going to set his leg before securing the makeshift splint. Crap. This was going to hurt. A lot. He was kinda hoping that he would still be unconscious for that part.

He noticed Sam's eyes were shifting almost manically to the side again, looking nervous and uncertain. Dean took a quick glance and confirmed that nothing was there, "Hey, it's not real. Focus on me OK?"

Sam nodded, taking a deep breath, his eyes locking on Dean's. "Ready?"

"Let's get it over with," Dean ground out, clenching his teeth in anticipation.

"On three," he said softly. "One…Two…."

Dean screamed as the bone was snapped into place his body jackknifing into a sitting position before he collapsed in a heap, body trembling, sweat dripping from his brow. Fuck, he hurt so much! He had a remarkably high tolerance for pain, but this, this was reaching well beyond his limits. He twisted to the side away from Sam and began to heave.

Sam was sitting beside him in an instant, holding him steady, rubbing soothing circles into his back, "It's OK, the worst is over," he murmured gently.

"Oh god…" Dean groaned weakly, squeezing his eyes shut against the pain. Stars flooded his vision and he felt himself start to fall back under, but Sam held on tight.

"Stay with me Dean," he whispered, "stay with me…"

Dean blinked up at his brother who was drifting in and out of focus. Oh god, the pain, the pain was just too damn much. Passing out would be really nice right about now, but he coundn't. He had to stay awake but he couldn't quite remember why it was so important to stay awake when surrendering to the pain would be so much easier...

Sam suddenly looked again to the side biting his lip with uncertainty and worry. Blearily Dean followed his line of sight and froze, terror slamming into him. Any desire to pass out was instantly gone when he saw the car that had dropped on the Leviathan shift and tilt. It was definitely still alive and they were running out of time. "S-Sam?"

"I know," Sam said nervously, turning his focus back to Dean, "not real."

"No, I think this time it is," Dean breathed. Sam's eyes widened and he looked again.

"The Leviathan?"

"Yeah," he gasped. "You might want to make this quick."

Sam nodded and eased him back to the ground to let him lie flat again and got to work making the splint. Setting the bone was only a temporary fix, he still needed a hospital, but it would have to do for now until they could leave Sioux Falls and find a nice hospital that wasn't filled with Leviathans.

Dean kept a close eye on the one under the smashed car as Sam worked, the dangerous distraction helping him stay conscious as much as his injured body begged for release. Its hand was moving, flexing into a fist, its exposed arm twisting to push itself up. The car rocking.

"Done," Sam announced, catching Dean's attention. "How are we going to do this?" Sam asked.

"Don't care, just move it Sammy," Dean said as Sam spared a quick glance the Leviathan's way. Sam nodded and grabbed his hand, pulling him first into a sitting position and then dragging him almost to his feet. Dean leaned heavily on Sam, keeping his bad leg off the ground. But the sudden vertical position sent his blood rushing to his broken leg and suddenly the nausea and wavering vision was back with a vengeance. Dean's good leg wobbled and buckled and he quickly started to sink back to the ground with a startled cry, but Sam tightened his grip, hoisting him back up.

Suddenly the car rolled aside and the Leviathan was slowly climbing to his feet, black liquid seeping from its eyes, ears and nose, body slightly mangled and twisted.

"Dean?"

"Real," he confirmed weakly, feeling shock start to settle in and yank at his consciousness.

Without another word Sam readjusted his grip on Dean, wrapping one arm across Dean's back and bending over and reaching behind Dean's knees, scooping him into his arms, carrying him in a way that might've wounded Dean's pride if the situation wasn't so desperate. Dean moaned in agony as the movement jarred his leg and he gasped weakly as his ribs, which he was pretty sure were cracked, pressed uncomfortably against Sam. He reached up and wrapped his arms around Sam's neck, pressing his forehead into Sam's shoulder as he rode out this latest wave of agony as Sam started to move.

Dean kept an eye on the Leviathan, relieved to see that they managed to weaken it but it watched their retreat, an eerie grin on its face as it limped behind them in a thankfully slow pursuit. Of course they weren't moving that quickly either.

Sam turned a corner and as Dean felt himself start to slip out of his brother's arms Sam suddenly hoisted him back up, readjusting his grip. "How you holding up?" Sam asked.

"Awesome," Dean swallowed, breath hitching.

"Still behind us?"

"Yeah."

Dean's voice must've faded suddenly because Sam shook him slightly, and Dean gasped, opening his eyes, unaware that he had closed them, "Stay awake Dean. We're almost there."

"S'm…gonna be sick…" he groaned, every step jarring his leg. It was also getting harder and harder to breathe. Yeah he definitely had some cracked ribs too on top of going into shock from a friggin' compound fracture. Awesome.

"Almost there," Sam repeated, "just hang on for me. Hang on…"

"Tryin'…" he slurred.

"Dean?" Sam gasped, stopping suddenly.

Dean cried out as the abrupt stop sent a new wave of pain to crash into him and his stomach lurched as he blinked up at Sam in confusion.

Sam wasn't looking at him or the Leviathan but straight ahead and slightly off to the side, but his focus wasn't on the Impala, which was finally in sight, or Bobby's burnt out shell of a house, or the road or anything for that matter.

"'s not r-real, wh-ever …is…" he tried to get out, but his mind was getting fuzzy and he was seconds away from either passing out or puking and neither one felt appealing and this was not the time for passing out or for Sam's mind to conjure up more hallucinations.

Sam backed up a step, his grip on Dean tightening as his eyes darted to the slowly advancing Leviathan and whatever Sam was seeing. Without warning Sam gasped as though startled letting go of him and Dean dropped to the ground with a jarring thud. Dean landed on his back, letting out a scream as his broken leg hit the ground with a slight, off kilter bounce that had the bone shifting and him writhing in agony and gasping desperately for air as bile forced its way out of him.

Stepping away from him, through blurred vision he could see Sam frantically look back and forth, from the Leviathan, to Dean, to whatever the hell he was hallucinating, looking lost, panicked and confused. "Sam!" he wheezed desperately, unable to say more as his vision flickered and oblivion threatened to claim him once again. He pushed himself up as best as he could, "Sam…" he tried again.

Blearily he watched Sam back away from him and press his back against the gate, shaking his head, uncertain, looking about ready to fall apart and bolt as his eyes continued to dart between Dean, the Leviathan and a specific spot of thin air. He started to breathe heavily, bordering on hyperventillation.

"Looks like Sam isn't in any shape to help you now," the Leviathan stated, finally reaching him. He leaned over him, a sadistic grin on his face and Dean could do nothing but cling to the last remnants of consciousness as the Leviathan's smile widened, "Don't worry, I'll make sure his death is quick. But you… well you dropped a car on my head. You won't be so lucky."

The Leviathan landed a quick, harsh kick to his abdomen and then grabbed him by the shirt collar and backhanded him across the face before he shoved him back to the dirt and reached down to grasp his neck, gripping tightly.

Dean's eyes rolled as he feebly attempted to pull the Leviathan's hand away, gagging and choking, unable to draw in air, "Ssss…."

Sam meanwhile desperately grabbed hold of his wounded hand and pressed his fingers into the cut with a wince and then he was back to himself, "Dean!" he cried out, startled as he suddenly realized what was happening, "Shit I'm so sorry!" He grabbed the gun from the waistband of his jeans and fired at the Leviathan, hollering in fury, "Get away from him!" The Leviathan fell back, apparently still weakened enough for a regular gun to have an effect this time. He fired again as he rushed to wards them, collapsing to the ground by Dean's side, resting his hand firmly on Dean's shoulder. Keeping him grounded. Keeping them both grounded.

Stars flooded Dean's vision as he felt tears fall from his eyes and he gasped desperately for air, "S'mmy? Y' with me?"

"Yeah," Sam barked out a little laugh-sob, his hand hovering over Dean's prone body before curling into a fist as he shook his head, "I'm…god I'm so sorry. It…it looked like you…told me you were the Leviathan, that y-you tricked me…said there was nothing else there…for a moment I thought...and you..."

"'s OK…" Dean wheezed faintly, reaching a shaky hand up to clutch Sam's wounded hand, giving it a gentle squeeze, "'m real…'member that…"

"I know, I know that now," Sam whispered, "I'm so sorry. Hang on man, I'm gonna get you out of here. We're almost there, we're almost there…"

Dean wanted to say something to reassure his brother, but darkness pulled at him and this time he lacked the strength to resist. He heard Sam call his name, begging him to stay awake but his voice drifted further and further away. Not even the sound of Sam's gun firing repeatedly was enough to revive him. The sounds faded and faded until there was nothing.

0-0-0

When he opened his eyes again he was in the back seat of the impala, shivering. A thin blanket wrapped around him and a pillow was settled under his leg. He could hear the engine roaring and felt his baby race down a stretch of highway and he was vaguely proud of the work he did on fixing her, glad he was able to get her up and running again so quickly. He looked up and saw Sam in the driver's seat, a grim and determined look on his face.

"S-Sam?" Dean groaned.

Sam spared a glance in the rearview mirror, "Dean! Thank god… you scared me man. I couldn't wake you…I don't know what damage that thing did to you while I was freaking out and hallucinating shit. What kinda damage I caused when I..."

Dean could feel the self recrimination and guilt rolling off his brother in waves, "Not y-your fault," he said, finding it to be remarkably painful to breathe. He felt cold and shaky and could feel his pulse racing and his leg throbbed, sending sharp jolts of pain with every breath, with every bump in the road and could feel himself slipping into oblivion again. Yep, definitely shock. Fan-fucking-tastic. His stomach rolled. And nausea too. Perfect.

"I dropped you!" Sam's voice broke, "I almost let that thing kill you because I wasn't even sure if you were real or not!"

"Y' figured it out, Sam," Dean whispered.

Sam snorted bitterly, "Almost too late."

"We'll get through this Sam, it's…it's gonna be OK."

"How?" Sam shuddered, banging his hands on the steering wheel, "I'm trying but… but what if this doesn't go away? I could've gotten you killed…what are we going to do?"

"Well," Dean started shakily, shifting in his seat to sit up straighter but sagged back against the window when the movement awakened other bumps and bruises and minor injuries he hadn't been aware of before, "for now we lay low for a while, give me a chance to heal up and you to get your head back on straight, and then…well we'll figure it out from there, OK? Together."

Sam nodded shakily, "OK."

"Where're we goin' anyway?" Dean asked.

"Well, you need a hospital, but Sioux Falls General is out of the question for obvious reasons," Sam said and Dean nodded in agreement, feeling a pang of sadness as his thoughts suddenly went to Bobby. Damn it, please let him be OK, Dean closed his eyes in prayer at the thought, which made him think of Cas and his breath hitched in despair. "Either way, I thought it was best to get as far away from Sioux Falls as possible right now. Just in case."

"G-good thinking," Dean groaned.

"How you holding up?"

"Peachy," he murmured.

"You sure? You were going into shock earlier… you still look white as a sheet... I was hoping to get a few towns between us and Sioux Falls, but if you don't think you can make it…"

"I can make it," Dean ground out.

Sam nodded and kept driving.

"Sam?" Dean said softly, feeling himself slipping and needing to stay awake, "You're gonna be OK."

"How can you be sure?" Sam asked, sounding scared and small.

"Because I've been there," he confessed, "I know what it's like. When I got back…I didn't remember much at first. But then the ghost sickness came along and suddenly I could remember everything…next thing I know I'm seeing things that aren't real. I don't know…maybe it…wasn't as bad, different for you maybe but…eventually I figured out how to deal…with it…and…" he struggled to keep his eyes open, "'m gonna help...you get through it...somehow..."

Dean started to drift and Hell memories creeped to the surface but he quickly pushed them away. He felt tears of pain and sadness start to build in his eyes and he felt Sam's helplessness. He knew it was different for Sam, but he understood what he was going through all too well, and Dean would jump right back into the Pit without hesitation if it meant that Sam could forget everything, if it meant changing history so Sam would've never had to endure it in the first place.

He closed his eyes, feeling the loss as though it was brand new. The pain and shock in his muddled brain blurring together his own Hell with images of Sam jumping into the cage, with the more recent loss of Cas, and Bobby's disappearance. They were screwed, things were so FUBAR he didn't know what to do. Dean looked at the growing stain of blood on his jeans and he wondered how much he lost, and the weight of their fucked up situation crashed into him with such a shocking force that he whimpered in mourning before darkness swam into his vision, pulling him under.

"Dean? Hey man, stay awake, stay with me, I need you to stay awake," Sam begged and Dean forced himself to open his eyes. He looked in the rearview mirror and saw Sam staring back at him. "You back?"

"I left?"

"Yeah, for a second," Sam breathed, his eyes wide with concern.

"Oh."

They were quiet for a few moments as Sam focused his attention back on driving and Dean tried to focus on staying awake instead of the pain assaulting his body and soul. When were they ever going to catch a break?

The Impala suddenly hit a pot hole and Dean cried out as his whole body bounced with the car. His head bounced against the window and he was pretty sure that his broken bone shifted upon impact and suddenly his stomach was in his throat. "Sam!" he hissed tightly, "pull over!"

"Shit, Dean!" Sam exclaimed as he did as he was told. Dean scrambled to sit up but could hardly move, pain and vertigo hindering his movmements. But suddenly Sam was out of the car and opening the far door helping him to scoot forward and lean out the door just as he started to hurl, bile splattering against the shoulder of the road.

Man, things were hopeless, things were so fucked up… he heaved a few more times, everything, his entire body, especially his leg pure agony.

What were they going to do?

Hole up and heal up, sure. But then what? Cas was gone, Bobby MIA, possibly dead and Sam's fragile grip on reality was unravelling and what if it didn't go away? And the Leviathans, how were they to fight them? And _goddamit_! He hurt everywhere. It was too much, too much. How was he supposed to help Sam when he hurt so fucking much and could barely keep it together himself?

He felt Sam's hand rubs circles in his back as he heaved, "It's OK, Dean, it's OK. I got you, I got you."

With a shaky hand Dean reached up and wiped at his mouth. His eyes fluttered and his head dropped back, suddenly too heavy to lift, on the verge of passing out. Sam grabbed hold of his hand firmly, pulling him into a hug and held him for a moment. Overwhelmed with weakness Dean closed his eyes and took a deep breath, limply sagging in Sam's arms.

"I got you Dean."

Trembling with pain and fatigue Dean pulled back to look Sam in the eye. Damn it he looked so lost. He gave a sad, weary smirk, "Yeah? But who's got you?" he asked, trying to channel that scene in _Superman, _hoping to put a smile on Sam's face.

It worked and Sam shook his head with a wan grin, "You do, you jerk."

Dean was suddenly unsure of whether to laugh or cry, "Bitch."

Man, how he had missed that.

Sam chuckled sadly, though there was hope in his eyes that wasn't there before, "Y'know, you're right Dean, we'll get through this somehow. We'll be OK. We lean on each other. We do that, we'll be fine."

"Yeah," Dean huffed a small laugh.

"But I guess this means we've got work to do."

Dean nodded in agreement as Sam helped him get settled once more. Yeah things were fucked up beyond all recognition, sure they were both battered and broken, both falling apart, but they had each other.

It might not be much, but ultimately it was everything.

They were gonna get through this. Somehow.

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><p>AN Thanks for reading. Please let me know what you think, good or bad. I'm pretty sure it's crap anyway but maybe when I'm more rested I'll go back and tweak it a bit. I just wanted to get this posted before the next episode aired. I hope Bobby's OK. At first I planned to have him show up and save the day in this fic, but the story had other ideas. Ultimately I wanted Sammy to be the hero, despite his current setbacks. I'm not sure about the ending. Probably one of the worst cliche offenders out there.

Man, Bobby better be OK. And Cas too darn it! And while we're at it, I want Sammy and Dean to be OK too! They deserve to be happy! (says the girl who loves to hurt them...ironic isn't it?)

Review please! It would be very much appreciated! Have a great day!


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